and all he did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan – King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth.

We must let them live so we can escape the curse attached to the oath we swore to them.”

That day they captured it and put the sword to all who lived there. That day they annihilated it just as they had done to Lachish.

Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

We swear we have done this because we were worried that in the future your descendants would say to our descendants, ‘What relationship do you have with the Lord God of Israel?

You saw everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your behalf, for the Lord your God fights for you.

Be very strong! Carefully obey all that is written in the law scroll of Moses so you won’t swerve from it to the right or the left,

I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land. Then I brought you out.

the spies spotted a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.”

but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’ But you have disobeyed me. Why would you do such a thing?

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.

Ehud made himself a sword – it had two edges and was eighteen inches long. He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh.

Gideon said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, then give me a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me.

God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed.

That night God did as he asked. Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

Gideon used all this to make an ephod, which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.

So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness!

They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, squeezed out the juice, and celebrated. They came to the temple of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.

But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today!”

The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us, if we do not do as you say.”